The Guide to Original PJO Characters: Abridged
by hpngtdi
Summary: How to ACTUALLY write a decent character, in less than a thousand words. Born because people didn't seem to get my other guide was a parody. Rated T for some minor cursing.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own PJO.

**Notes:** This was born from to many people not understanding that my other guide, which is easily acceptable from my profile, is a _parody_. For those of you who don;t get it, here's an actual tip sheet.

The Guide to Original Characters: The Abridged Version

_Warning: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. I can give you tips, but I can't make you a good writer. Writing takes practice, reading, and acknowledging constructive criticism. I'm just trying to do my part in curing the fandom of suck-y plots..._

_For more information, of the This-is-a-pardoy-so-do-the-opposit kind, I will shamelessly self-promote myself and tell you to read my other fic, The Ultimate Guide to Writing Super Awesome Fanfic!_

_**On Cabin Placement**_

The important thing to remember is not to stereotype cabins. Yes, children of the same god share some abilities, but they are not carbon copies of each other! Compare Michael Yew to Will Solace; the former is obnoxious, with tons of attitude and snark. The later seems to be a friendly, chill guy.

If you wright about the umpteenth spunky daughter of Poseidon whose rival is the shallow Aphrodite girl, readers will roll there eyes and wonder why there is no originality left in the world.

It's okay to make a Child of Aphrodite Beautiful, or a Child of Hermes an excellent thief, but don;t give them every ability under the sun.

_**On Naming Your Character**_

It's okay to give them a unique name- but not if they already have a million other special or unique things about them. Also, be warned, a unique name is a red-flag for reviewers that this could be a Sue.

I would suggest sticking with a simple name you like or find pretty- there are a ton of databases out there, so just check them out- Behindthename . Com (without the spaces) is a great source for popular names, names by origin, and names by meaning.

_**On your Characters appearance**_

In my opinion, the only excuse for a stunningly beautiful OC is if she's the daughter of Aphrodite.

I understand wanting to have a pretty character, and I think it's fine, the key is moderation. Having a character who is described as "Pretty, with big blue eyes and blond hair in a pony tail" is different then a character described as "Striking, with azure orbs surrounded by a rim of thick lashes, and golden hair that shimmered like wheat in a field struck by sun, that was pulled back from her lovely face by a pony-tail holder".

Also, don;t stereotype- not all blonds are stupid and bitchy, not all brunettes are smart and shy. Just do your best to envision how _you_ see the character.

_**On Love Interests**_

Look, if you want to write a Nico/OC or Percy/OC, I won;t stop you; I have actually read some decent Nico/OCs. But half the fandom with fucking kill you if you touch their OTP Percabeth, and Nico/OC is so overused it's rare they get clicked on, unless an author gets lucky.

I would advise looking into lesser paired up characters- we have Will Solace (who I admit to being slightly in love with), Malcolm, Mitchell, Connor, and a lot more. Pick someone who's head you can really get into and who has chemistry with your character; this doesn't have to d with "Opposites attract" or someone who's the same as them- just make sure it;s a pair you can write believably.

_**On Plots**_

Make sure the plot is as interesting as the romance.

I can't spell this out for you, since plot is _literally_ the most flexible thing in a story, but I will say this:

Keep focused.

In every chapter, _something_ should happen that moves the plot along- unless you have a really long fic and need breather chapters, but otherwise, keep the mantra:

_Something every chapter_.

_**On Responding to Reviews:**_

Some reviews will just be a nice comment on the story. These are great, but they aren't usually helpful.

Some reviews will be Constructive, and weather it;s positive or negative, you should listen to it! Accept that you _probably_ know less than the people who are spending there time writing out a detailed review for your story, and do your best to take their advice. If they say something you majorly disagree on, just ignore that one tip; but grammar, spelling, and canon information should be looked into.

It's a fact of life that you will get flames; do _not_ respond to these. Just go out, take a brisk walk, or cry it off. Don;t start an argument with someone who can get so creative with their insults- it will end in your tears.

_Hopefully, that helped some. Remember, for more info, look into my other fic._


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